Heart 0f Mine (Secrets 0f Savannah Book 6) Page 12

  “We need to finish talking. I have to tell you something very important. It can’t wait.”

  “It’ll have to wait. My friend Hope is coming over. We have a date.”

  His father raised his eyebrow. “A date? You’re seeing someone here in Savannah?”

  “Yes.” He responded. “She’s one of the owners of Savannah House.”

  His father’s complexion paled. “You can’t be serious?”

  “Dad. When it comes to Hope I’m completely serious. Not one word in front of her about any of this. She doesn’t need to see us going back and forth.” He walked toward the door, opening it up with a feeling of anxiety bubbling around in his stomach. His relationship with his father had been strained for so long now. He didn’t want Hope to be exposed to any tension.

  When he opened up the door, Hope’s lovely face served as an instant healing balm. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with Hope. He almost chuckled at the irony in her name. This woman was giving him such a dose of hope and inspiring him to be a better man. He supposed part of his journey would be healing things with his father, but he wasn’t quite ready to do it. Especially not when his father had shown up on his doorstep spouting such negativity.

  Hope was holding a beaming Ella in her arms. They were both a sight for sore eyes.

  “Hey there, beauties,” Grayson said, his joy seeping into his tone. The feelings sweeping over him felt almost overwhelming. He felt protective towards both Hope and Ella. They were his ladies. Both of them. It was a little bit scary knowing he’d fallen head over heels for both of them. For so many years he’d been a playboy, never pausing for a moment to feel real emotions for a woman. The moment Hope had come into his life, Grayson’s heart had been forever altered. Love had come calling. And there was no escaping it. He was hooked.

  “Do you have company? I saw the car outside,” Hope said, stepping inside his house. With her light blue shirt and jeans, she looked casual and comfy. Ella reached her arms out for him. Grayson happily took her off Hope’s hands and held her tightly against his chest. Honestly, other than kissing Hope, there was no better feeling in the world.

  “Come on in and I’ll introduce you to my father.” Grayson tried to toss the words out casually, but he knew by the look on Hope’s face she could see his unease.

  “Your father?” she whispered, brown eyes wide with alarm. He’d told Hope enough about his strained relationship with his father for her to realize him showing up at Grayson’s house might not be a happy occurrence.

  “Yep,” he said, sending her a signal with his eyes that he wasn’t exactly happy about this unexpected visit.

  Grayson led the way toward his living room, jiggling Ella in his arms in the way she enjoyed. The whole time she was talking and pulling at his jaw. His father jumped up from the love seat as soon as they walked into the room.

  “Who is this little one?” he asked, reaching out to squeeze Ella’s fingers. She frowned at him, then curled up against Grayson’s chest.

  “Her name is Ella. And this is her mother, Hope. She’s one of the owners of Savannah House,” Grayson explained. “Hope has been kind enough to show me around the resort and give me some insight into the Alexander family, especially Hattie.”

  Tanner stuck out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hope. You have a nice little lady here.”

  “Thank you,” Hope murmured. She still seemed surprised by his father’s presence. “When did you arrive here in Savannah?”

  “A few hours ago.” He glanced over at Grayson. “My son didn’t know I was coming.”

  “It was quite a surprise!” Grayson said, trying to keep anger out of his voice. He didn’t want Hope to think he came from a family full of dysfunction, even though it was the truth. Grayson didn’t usually care what people thought one way or the other. But he cared a great deal about Hope’s opinion. It was amazing how someone could waltz in to your life and change everything. For Grayson, Hope was one of those people.

  “I’ll come back later on.” His father’s voice rang out with certainty. “We need to talk, Grayson. It’s fairly urgent.”

  Tanner looked over at Hope and nodded. “Nice to see my son is making good friends here in Savannah.”

  “Please don’t leave on our account,” Hope said.

  “No worries,” Tanner said with a grin. “Judging by the look on Grayson’s face, he’d much rather hang out with two lovely ladies than an old guy like myself.”

  With a nod of his head and a slight smile he moved toward the door and exited the house. Grayson thought he would have felt relieved to see his father leaving, but once his father was gone, he felt a huge void. There was a slight aching in the region of his heart.

  “What was that all about?” Hope asked, a frown marring her forehead.

  Grayson shrugged, still a bit stunned by his father showing up on his doorstep. He’d radiated intensity. What did he want to talk to Grayson about? “I’m not quite sure. He just showed up out of the blue.”

  “He didn’t call first?”

  “I’ve been sort of dodging his calls,” he admitted. “We haven’t been on good terms for a while now.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to postpone our outing? Your Dad traveled all this way to see you and he seemed kind of intense. Do you have any idea of what he wants to talk about?”

  “I think it has something to do with my being here in Savannah. He’s not cool with it, for some reason. It’s a little bit frustrating not to get his support.”

  “I’m sorry about that, Grayson. I know it would mean the world to you if he gave you a thumbs up.”

  “It’s okay,” Grayson said. “Being here in Savannah has given me some healing. For so long I wondered why my parents were so disconnected from me. I don’t know how to explain it, but hearing about Hattie and Samuel has given me a measure of understanding and peace. I come from amazing stock. Their love story was amazing but tragic. And no matter how I slice it, that trickled down to my father. It’s all one big cycle of pain and loss. No matter how intelligent he is, and despite all the books he’s written about adoption, he still can’t bridge the distance between us.”

  “Grayson, healing is still possible. God can move mountains. And I know you’ve been praying about the situation. Maybe you should hear Tanner out. He seemed…worried.”

  “I’ll talk to him later.” Grayson shook his head. “We are not changing our plans.” He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on Hope’s lips. “I’ve been waiting all morning to do that.”

  “I’ve been waiting all morning to have you do that,” Hope said in a teasing voice.

  “Spending time with my two favorite girls is important to me.” His cheeks hurt from grinning, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Hope made him happy. She made him feel like anything was possible. He wasn’t Grayson Holloway the wanderer anymore.

  “Mama!” Ella said, leaning in so she could place herself between them.

  “I think someone is jealous,” Grayson said, placing Ella down on the floor and holding her hand as she tried to take steps.

  “You’re right. She thinks I’m stealing her boyfriend,” Hope said, giggling as she gazed adoringly at Ella.

  “I’m flattered,” Grayson said, leaning down and placing a smooch on Ella’s cheek. His heart felt fuller than he could ever remember. He was bursting to tell Hope he was in love with her, but he knew he should tread carefully. Her ex—Ella’s father—had ripped her heart out and trampled all over it. He wanted to respect Hope in a way Ross hadn’t. And when he told he loved her, Grayson wanted to make sure that all his ducks were lined up in a row so the words weren’t just hollow. With every day that passed, Hope and Ella were imprinting themselves on his heart strings like a permanent tattoo. And he couldn’t be happier about it.

  **

  Hope couldn’t remember a more light-hearted and fun day than the one she’d just spent with Grayson and Ella. They spent a few hours at the aquarium and then headed down to the ri
verbank to watch the boats. It scared Hope a little bit how she’d felt like a family today. People had looked at them and smiled, as if admiring their little family unit. That’s what she wanted for Hope. To be part of a family with a father at the helm. And lately, she’d begun to fantasize about what it would feel like to be Grayson’s partner. His soul mate.

  By early evening, Ella was pooped. She fell asleep on the ride home and didn’t wake up when they got home and Ella placed her down to sleep. “May God bless and keep you, my darling,” Hope whispered as she turned off the light and closed the door. Before she had left the room, Hope had made sure to turn the baby monitor on, as well as the night light.

  Hope joined Grayson in the living room. She sat down next to him on the couch, reaching out and touching him on the knee. “Thanks for a perfect day.”

  “She really fell in love with those sea turtles, didn’t see?” Grayson asked, chuckling as he placed his hands behind his head and sat back on her couch. It was nice to see him making himself comfortable at her home. She loved having him here. His larger than life presence filled the place up.

  “She really did,” Hope said, smiling at the memory of Ella’s joy filled face.

  “You’re a great mother, Hope,” Grayson said, reaching out and entwining his fingers with Hope’s fingers.

  “I appreciate you saying so,” Hope said. “It’s not easy doing it alone. Ella’s father hasn’t been in her life at all.” She cringed. “I hate even calling him that. He hasn’t earned that title.”

  “Did you love him?” Grayson asked. Their gazes locked and Hope could see the intensity blazing from his eyes.

  “Yes, I did. It wasn’t a good type of love though. It wasn’t the type that makes a person strong or uplifted. His name was Ross. He lied to me. Deceived me. Nothing he told me about himself was true. He told me to get rid of Ella. I was at my lowest point in my life. I thought he was going to be my husband.” Hope shuddered. “I’m ashamed to admit all that I went through with him. I wasn’t living up to the person I wanted to be. And I wasn’t living a faith-based life. I lost sight of who I was. So I made a vow to myself that I would never lose myself in a man again.”

  Grayson nodded. He clenched his teeth. “I’d like to have a few minutes alone with Ross. No real man acts like that. No real man tricks a woman with lies so she’ll be his. No real man asks a woman to get rid of his child. I hope your heart isn’t closed to love, Hope, because it’s out there for you. You just have to reach out and grab it.”

  She felt a groundswell of emotion rising up inside her. Was Grayson talking about himself? “I think you’re helping me realize that, Grayson.”

  “I’m happy to hear that,” he said, leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips. Hope breathed in the scent of him. He smelled woodsy and masculine. His kiss had a tenderness about it that made her feel protected and cherished. She knew Grayson wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. It was all there in the kiss. It was a promise of something more to come. She could feel it. Hope wrapped her arms around Grayson’s neck and leaned in to the kiss. She prayed Grayson could feel her heart and soul wrapped up in the embrace. She wasn’t quite ready to tell Grayson she loved him, but she hoped this kiss would tell him her heart belonged to him.

  “Home is a feeling. It’s the place where you feel most comfortable in your own skin. It’s a safe haven where you feel like your best self.” Charlotte Duvall Cabron

  Chapter Ten

  Grayson woke up the following morning missing Hope. Last night he’d almost told her he was in love with her, but he worried it was too soon. Hope’s heart was a fragile thing indeed. He needed to tread carefully with it. At the same time, he knew he wanted a future with her. But he didn’t want to scare her off. She’d been through so much with Ella’s father.

  He downed a bowl of cereal and dragged on a pair of jeans and a T shirt, then drove over to Savannah House. He walked out to the garden and watched as Hope led a group of guests in a Yoga class. Grayson stood at a distance, watching Hope in all her glory. She looked athletic and dewy eyed and beautiful.

  “Hey you,” she said, walking up to greet him as the class ended.

  “Hey. Looking good out there.”

  “Thanks. What brings you over here so early?” Hope asked.

  “I missed you,” he said, pulling her in for a kiss. “I wanted to see if I could grab you for lunch later on.”

  “I think that could be arranged,” she said, grinning up at him.

  The sound of a throat clearing drew both their attention. Grayson looked up to see his father standing a few feet away.

  “Dad! What are you doing here?” he asked, anger evident in his tone.

  Tanner let out a sigh. “This seems to be your favorite place these days. I told you I needed to talk to you, son. I’m leaving town tomorrow.”

  Grayson threw his hands in the air. “Talk, dad. Get it off your chest.”

  “I think we should find a private place,” Tanner said, shifting his gaze toward Hope.

  “Anything you want to say can be said in front of Hope,” Grayson said through clenched teeth.

  “No! Let me give you some privacy,” Hope said, moving away from them.

  “Hope. Please stay,” Tanner asked. “I think Grayson might need some moral support.”

  “What does that even mean?” Grayson asked, his brow furrowed with confusion.

  “Grayson. Listen to me! Hattie Alexander was not my birth mother. Samuel Blythewood was not my birth father. You have no actual ties to Miss Hattie, the Alexander family or Savannah House.” He waved a piece of paper in the air. “And I have the documents to prove it.”

  Grayson heard his father’s statement through a gray haze. His first reaction was anger. What game was Tanner playing? Was he so angry at Grayson for coming to Savannah and taking his personal documents that he’d decided to lash out at him in this way? With a lie?

  He shook his head, unwilling to believe his father. “No. I don’t believe you. I have your birth certificate with her name on it along with Samuel’s name. How do you explain that?

  “I told you half-truths. I did meet Hattie Alexander.”

  His father’s words exploded like a grenade in the stillness of the morning.

  “What?” Grayson exploded. “How could you have lied to me about something so important?”

  “Hear me out, son. It’s a tangled story. I didn’t get my hands on my actual birth certificate until I revved up my search efforts five years ago. I’d attempted to obtain the records before then but due to the adoption laws I wasn’t able to make any headway. That’s when I was able to access my birth records and discovered the name of my birth parents. I did some research and discovered Samuel Blythewood had passed away. I then hit pay dirt when I tracked down Hattie Alexander. It took me a while to make contact, but I did. She agreed to meet me at this park in Savannah. When she saw me, she started to cry. At first I thought she was crying happy tears or maybe guilty tears.”

  “She took a long look at me and said there’d been some kind of a mistake. She said I wasn’t her son.” Tanner shook his head. “Hattie Alexander knew I wasn’t her son. Patrick was his name. She said he was a red head. Bright red hair and little freckles.” Tanner shrugged. “She knew I wasn’t him.”

  Grayson shook his head. He was stunned. “Hair colors change. That doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I didn’t know what she meant but she kept repeating it over and over, then she began to softly cry. She told me there had been a mistake and I wasn’t her son. It was devastating to have her walk away from me like that.”

  “You told me you never met her,” Grayson said, his features furrowed with confusion. “Why did you lie to me?”

  **

  Hope reached out and squeezed Grayson’s arm for support. The tension in the air was thick and stifling. She was seeing a side of Grayson that was foreign to her. And it scared her. Everything seemed to be unraveling at the speed of light. Grayson’s expression gutted he
r. He was trying desperately to make sense of this stunning story.

  Tanner looked directly at Grayson. “You asked me if I’d ever met my mother. I gave you a truthful answer, son. Hattie Alexander was not my mother.”

  “That’s not what that birth certificate says!” Grayson exploded.

  I think she knew,” Tanner said, wiping a tear from his face.

  “Knew what?” Grayson asked.

  His father turned toward him and patted him on the shoulder. “That her biological child died. In the hospital the day after Hattie gave birth to him. I brought someone here who can explain it better than I can.”

  A tall, well-built man came walking toward them from the side entrance to the gardens. With his dark hair and intense expression, he had an air of authority about him.

  “I knew you wouldn’t take my word for it, Grayson. Because of the past you don’t seem to believe in me very much or in a single thing I say,” Tanner said with a doleful expression. “So I hired one of the best PIs in the country.” He gestured toward the stranger. “This is Parker Donahue.”

  Hope knew that name! Parker Donahue had worked with Callie’s biological brother, Mac Donahue, to find her. From what she knew of Parker, no one could ever question his investigative skills.

  Parker locked gazes with Grayson. “I’ve been looking into this matter for the last few weeks, Grayson,” Parker said in a firm but compassionate tone. “I did some digging. It wasn’t a cakewalk either. Those old records were elusive. But I managed to piece some things together. Hattie Alexander gave birth at a hospital in Florida. That hospital is one of the oldest in the country. It still exists. There was a nun who handled all the babies born at that hospital in nineteen forty-two. Sister Angela Callahan.” Parker dug into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Sister Angela died five years ago at the ripe old age of ninety-seven. When she died she left behind confessions of situations she’d mishandled. She was at the hospital the day Miss Hattie delivered her son. At the same time another young woman also gave birth to a son. This young woman died in childbirth. After Miss Hattie left the hospital to go home her son’s health deteriorated and he passed away.